The NBA's offseason churn has begun. Of course, we have the draft this Thursday,'but the big news around the Association today is a report from Shams Charania that there's an “impasse” between Kyrie Irving and the Nets. The seven-time All-Star guard could opt to leave in free agency or push for a sign-and-trade. SportsLine offers odds on his 2022-23 team if he leaves Brooklyn.
“I don't really plan on going anywhere,” Irving said on April 25 after the Nets' sweep at the hands of the Bo ston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. “It has always been about being comfortable loving where I'm at, and I love it here. Once that summertime hits, I know that we'll have some conversations; but there's no way I can leave my man 7 anywhere.”
Of course, No. 7 on the Nets is Kevin Durant, and a big reason Durant orchestrated a move to Brooklyn was to play with Irving. Money always talks loudest, though, and Irving has a June 29 deadline on his $36.9 million player option for the 2022-23 season. The Nets are hesitant about a long-term extension because of all the off-field baggage that Irving tends to bring. Injuries, personal leaves and vaccine refusals have led to Irving missing 123 out of 226 regular-season contests with the team. James Harden demanded a trade in large part because of Irving's unavailability.
The Nets aren't going to want to lose him for nothing, either, so a sign-and-trade would seem to be the likeliest option because only a few teams have the salary-cap space to sign Irving to a mega-contract. The ones that do are non-contenders or in the midst of rebuilding. Irving tweeted a GIF shortly after Charania's report, but what that means is anyone's guess.